Finding Aid for Lloyd P. Farrar Music Instrument Collection and Personal Papers, 1850-2005 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

By Nolan Vallier and Scott Schwartz

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Collection Overview

Title: Lloyd P. Farrar Music Instrument Collection and Personal Papers, 1850-2005

ID: 12/9/92

Extent: 84.0 cubic feet

Arrangement: The Collection is arranged into four unique series: Series 1) Musical Instruments, Series 2) Personal Papers, Series 3) Published Books of Museum Exhibitions and General Histories, and Series 4) Treatises on Instrument Builders and Performance Practice. Series 1 is arranged chronologically by date of acrual. Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by title. Series 3 is arranged into two subseries: Subseries 1) Museum Catalog Books and Exhibits of Musical Instruments and Subseries 2) Published Biographies and General Histories, Both are arranged alphabetically by title. Series 4 is arranged into two subseries: Subseries 1) Publications, Dissertations, and Unpublished Manuscripts on Instrument Builders and Subseries 2) Treatises on Musical Instrument Performance Practice, Both are arranged alphabetically by title.

Date Acquired: 09/26/1995. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Brass Instruments, Musical Instrument Collections, Musical Instrument Makers - Europe, Musical Instrument Makers - United States, organology

Formats/Genres: Papers

Languages: English, German, Dutch;Flemish, Czech, Japanese

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection consists of Woodwind, string, and brass instruments by predominantly American, but some European, musical instrument manufacturers; Personal papers including notes on instrument builders, articles written about musical instruments, and photographs of musical instruments; and Books on musical instrument builders, museum collections and exhibits of musical instruments, treatises on performance practice and building musical instruments, and general histories about music in the 19th century.

Biographical Note

Lloyd P. Farrar (ca. 1932) has been interested in musical instruments since he was a child. After starting college as a geologist in North Carolina he hitchhiked across the country to the University of Illinois where he studied trombone and musicology. After joining the Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity he met his wife Doris Vogt, then a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, both were involved in musical activities at the University and they were married in 1956. At the University of Illinois he performed as the principal trombonist in the University Symphony Orchestra as well as on sackbut with the Collegium Musicum. Farrar graduated with his bachelors degree in music in 1955 and his masters degree in 1956. After his time at the University of Illinois, Farrar spent a year in the Netherlands on a Fullbright Grant studying early Dutch music. He and his wife then traveled to the University of Texas at Austin where he began his PhD in Musicology, but he never completed his dissertation. While he was in Washington DC studying at the Library of Congress, Farrar took a job teaching music history and band at Mary Washington College in Viriginia. In addition, he helped to form the nearby Prince George's Civic Orchestra in Washington DC, conducting the orchestra from 1965 to 1969. Around 1971, Farrar began to lose his sight and abandoned much of his intensive bibliographic work at the time, but continued his organological work. During the mid 1970s he collected hundreds of musical instruments as a means of correcting and expanding Lindesay Langwill's instrumental history book to include American manufacturers. Between the late 1970s and mid 1980s, Farrar was one of the country's leading organologists writing articles for The Woodwind Quarterly, The International Trumpet Guild, The American Musical Instrument Society, The Serpent Newsletter, and the American Musicological Society as well as serving on the board of governors for the American Musical Instrument Society where he chaired the committee for revisions to the Langwill Index. In 1988, Farrar examined and arranged the John Held and Chatfield Band Library at the Utah State Archives. In the late 1980s he began the Patuxent Martial Musick Collection in Colesville, Maryland, which was later transferred to the Sousa Archives in 1995. In 1996, the Farrars moved to Norris, Tennessee, where Mr. Farrar continues to collect and write about musical instruments.

Subject/Index Terms

Brass Instruments
Musical Instrument Collections
Musical Instrument Makers - Europe
Musical Instrument Makers - United States
organology

Administrative Information

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Accruals:

Additional materials were acquired from Lloyd Farrar on September 29, 2004; January 25, 2005; March 4, 2012; and June 26, 2016.

Yamaha Bb Flugelhorn received from Geoffrey Britten on May 2, 2019.

Acquisition Source: Lloyd Farrar

Acquisition Method: Gift of Lloyd and Doris Farrar.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Music Instruments, ca. 1850-1967],
[Series 2: Personal Papers, 1939-2005],
[Series 3: Published Books of Museum Exhibitions and General Histories, ca. 1901-2004],
[Series 4: Treatises on Instrument Builders and Performance Practice, 1871-2002],
[All]

Series 1: Music Instruments, ca. 1850-1967

Item 1: Valved Trombone: La Fletche Cie, 1880-1910

Accession number: 2004.120992.027

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver

Note: La Fletche Cie was probably an imported instrument by the Sears Roebuck company

Item 2: Baritone Horn: Monarch, 1882-1890

Accession number: 2004.120992.029

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Brass

Item 3: Cornet: C.G. Conn, 1892

Accession number: 2004.120992.006

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Silver

Item 4: Cornet: C.G. Conn, 1933

Accession number: 2004.120992.049

Physical condition: Fair

Material composition: Brass

Item 5: Cornet: C.G. Conn, 1903

Accession number: 2004.120992.048

Physical condition: Very Good

Material composition: Silver

Item 6: Cornet: Ch. Missenharter, 1882

Accession number: 2004.120992.003

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 7: Cornet: Missenharter and Coleman Excelsior Bb, ca. 1893

Accession number: 2004.120992.002

Physical condition: Fair

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 8: Cornet: John Heald, ca. 1920

Accession number: 2004.120992.020

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 9: Cornet: Frank Holton (Chicago, IL), ca. 1914

Accession number: 2004.120992.017

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 10: Cornet: C.G. Conn, ca. 1923

Accession number: 2004.120992.018

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Copper and Bronze

Item 11: Cornet: C.G. Conn, ca. 1923

Accession number: 2004.120992.019

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 12: Cornet: Charles Parsons, ca. 1880

Accession number: 2004.120992.014

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Brass

Item 13: Cornopean, ca. 1850

Accession number: 2004.120992.016

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Brass

Item 14: Double Horn: Carl Lehmann & Co., Ca., 1920

Accession number: 2004.120992.024

Physical condition: Poor

Material composition: Brass

Item 15: Euphonium: E. A. Couturier, 1930

Accession number: 2004.120992.030

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Silver

Item 16: Flute: C. G. Conn, 1930

Accession number: 2004.120992.001

Physical condition: Poor

Material composition: Silver

Item 17: Helicon B-flat: Brua C. Keefer, 1915

Accession number: 2004.120992.023

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 18: Helicon E-flat: Henry Distin, 1905

Accession number: 2004.120992.022

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 19: English Slide trumpet and tuning bit: C. Pace, London

Accession number: 2004.120992.015a and 2004.120992.015c

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Copper

Reproduction mouthpiece 2004.120992.15b (see also mouthpiece box 1)

Item 20: Bass Trombone: C. G. Conn, 1954

Accession number: 2004.120992.009

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Rose and Yellow Brass

Item 21: Tenor Trombone: C.G. Conn, 1933

Accession number: 2004.120992.032

Physical condition: Poor

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 22: Tenor Trombone: F. E. Olds Co., ca. 1920

Accession number: 2004.120992.008

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Brass

Engraving on Slide Portion reads: 1912 PAT APP'ld FOR, refering to tuning mechanism in slide. Has TIS Slide Mechanism.

Item 23: Tenor Trombone: Henry Lehnert, ca. 1890-1915

Accession number: 2004.120992.012

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Silver

Item 24: Trombone: F. E. Olds Co., 1954

Accession number: 2004.120992.010

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Nickel

Item 25: Tenor Trombone: Holton Special Model (Chicago, IL), c. 1916-1917

Non-accession number: 2004.120992.007

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Brass and Gold

Item 26: Tenor Trombone: Marceau, 1900-1910

Accession number: 2004.120992.025

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Note: Mareau was a puppet company based in the Cech Republic that was owned and operated by Sears Roebuck and Co.

Item 27: Tenor Trombone: C. W. Osgood, 1915-1925

Non-accession number: 2004.120992.026

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 28: Trumpet: Leblanc, 1958

Accession number: 2004.120992.005

Physical condition: Very Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 29: Trumpet: Frank Holton, undated

Accession number: 2004.120992.013

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Gold plating

Item 30: Trumpet: C. G. Conn, 1931

Accession number: 2004.120992.004

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver and Brass

Item 31: Herald Trumpet, 1920-1930

Accession number: 2004.120992.028

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Brass

Item 32: Trumpet: C.G. Conn, ca. 1957

Accession number: 2004.120992.033

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Silver, Nickel and Brass

Item 33: Trumpet: Excelsior, undated

Accession number: 2004.120992.031

Physical condition: Poor

Material composition: Brass

Item 34: Trumpet: William Frank Co., 1935-1942

Accession number: 2004.120992.011

Physical condition: Excellent

Material composition: Gold Plated

Item 35: Trumpet B-flat: C. G. Conn, ca. 1930

Accession number: 2004.120992.021

Physical condition: Very Good

Material composition: Brass

Item 36: Violin: H. Pohl, 1920

Accession number: 2004.120992.034

Physical condition: Fair

Material composition: Wood and Plastic

Item 37: Violin case, undated

Accession number: 2004.120992.036

Physical condition: Poor

Material composition: Wood

Item 38: Violin case, undated

Accession number: 2004.120992.035

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Leather

Item 39: Lyre, undated

Accession number: 2004.120992.047

Physical condition: Good

Material composition: Brass

Item 41: London Bombardon Tuba E-Flat: Henry Distin, 1869

Accession Number: 2012.120992.001

Serial: 20722.

Physical Condition: Slow valves, 1st and 3rd slides inoperable.

Note:Â Came with Mellophone mouthpiece and lyre.

Item 42: Cornet: Amari Kraslice ACR 252, undated

Accession number: 2012.120992.002

Serial: 121391.

Physical condition: Valves stuck. Good condition otherwise.

Material: Silver plated brass.

Item 43: London Ballad Horn: Boosey-Distin, 1870-1880

Accession number: 2012.120992.003

Serial: 29394 on bell and 27733 on second valve case.

Physical Condition: Good

Material: Silver

Item 44: Natural Horn: Boosey, 1880

Accession number: 2012.120992.007

Serial: 117322

Physical Condition: Playable, slides inoperable

Material: Brass

Item 45: Diagonal E-Flat Tenor Horn: Henry Lehnert, 1870

Accession number: 2012.120992.004

Physical Condition: Missing 2nd valve slide, unplayable

Material: coin silver

Item 46: E-Flat Tenor Horn: Henry Distin, c. 1885

Accession number: 2012.120992.006

Serial: 15840 on bell and 18143 on second valve case.

Physical Condition: Stuck 1st valve, 1st and 3rd slides inoperable.

Material: Brass

Item 47: Upright B-flat Tenor Horn: Henry Lehnert (Philadelphia), 1870-1880

Accession number: 2012.120992.005

Physical Condition: Good

Material: Brass

Item 48: E-flat Bell Front Tenor Flugal Horn: Zoebisch of New York, c. 1870

Accession number: 2012.120992.008

Physical Condition: Good

Material: Silver-plated brass

Note: Period mouth piece included with instrument. It came from a Paris, Texas music store according to Farrar.

Item 49: Alto Horn: Brua C. Keefer (Williamsport, PA), undated

Accession number: 2012.120992.009

Serial: 5452 on bell and 6226 on second valve case.

Physical Condition: Good condition, first valve tuning slide frozen.

Material: Brass

Item 50: Tenor Trombone: Thein (Bremen), undated

Accession Number: 2012.1209092.016.

Material/Condition: Brass, Excellent.

Contains Screw Bell.

Item 51: Reproduction of Baroque Natural Horn: Helmut Finke Herford, ca. 1960s

Accession Number: 2012.1209092.017a-e.

Material/Condition; Brass, Fair Condition.

Contains Four Crooks and Pig Tail Lead Pipe. Engraved on Bell "Angefertig von Helmut Finke Herford".

Item 52: Reproduction of Eb Alto Horn: Amati Kraslice, ca. 1980s-1990s

Accession Number: 2012.1209092.018.

Material/Condition: Silver Lacquer, Excellent Condition.

Amati Mouthpiece Size 5 Included in Case.

Item 53: Tenor Trombone: William Anderson Key Note Model, ca. 1923-1930

Accession number: 2016.1209092.001.

Silver Lacquer, Fair Condition.

No Mouthpiece.

Item 54: Tenor Trombone: Brua C. Keefer Simons Model, ca. 1919-1920

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.002a

Condition/Material: Silver Lacquer with Gold Bell, Excellent Condition

Contains original Case, Lyre (accession number 2016.1209092.002b), Keefer Mouthpiece (Gold Lacquer, excellent condition - accession number 2016.1209092.002c), Cleaning rod, Keefer Oil container (accession number 2016.1209092.002d), slide (accession number 2016.1209092.002e). Trombone has TIS system.

Item 55: Euphonium: Henry Distin (Williamsport, PA), ca. 1867

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.003a.

Material/Condition: Silver Lacquer with Gold finishing, Good Condition

Mouthpiece: Gold Plated Distin (undated) Accession number: 2016.1209092.003b.

NOTE: Original Case is Cloth, Handle with Extreme Care.

Item 56: Tenor Trombone: Besson, ca. 1940s

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.004.

Material/Condition: Brass, Fair Condition.

Original Case, Contains Lyre.

Item 57: Bass Trombone in G: Besson, ca. 1914

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.005.

Material/Condition: Silver Lacquer, Good Condition.

Trombone has slide handle for lower positions.

NOTE: Original Leather Case Extremely Fragile, Handle With Care.

Item 58: Tenor Trombone: Brua C. Keefer, ca. 1918

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.006.

Material/Condition: Silver Lacquer, Good Condition.

Item 59: Tenor Horn in Eb: Henry Lehnert, ca. 1860-1890

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.007.

Material/Condition: Silver Lacquer, Good Condition.

Note: Case is Damaged, Handle with Care.

Item 60: Tenor Horn in Eb: Brua C. Keefer (Williamsport, PA), ca. 1922

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.008.

Material/Condition: Silver Lacquer, Good Condition.

Stamped with USQMC on Bell (U.S. Quartermaster Corps)

Item 61: Bass Trombone with F Attachment: C.G. Conn, 1967

Accession Number: 2016.1209092.009.

Material/Condition: Brass, Good Condition.

Mouthpiece Box 1

Item 15b: L. Pace Slide Trumpet Copy Mouthpiece: 2004.120992.15b

Box 1

Item 1: Tonette: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.037 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Plastic
Item 2: Tonette: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.038 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Plastic
Item 3: Fitchhorn Song Flute: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.039 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Plastic
Item 4: Tin Whistle: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.040 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Brass?
Item 5: Tin Whistle: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.041 Physical condition: Fair Material composition: Brass?
Item 6: Tin Whistle: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.042 Physical condition: Fair Material composition: Brass?
Item 7: Tin Whistle: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.043 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Brass?
Item 8: Tin Whistle: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.044 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Unidentified metal with plastic mouthpiece
Item 9: Melody Flute: Non-accession number: 2004.120992.045 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Unidentified metal
Item 10: Fife (Melody Flute): Non-accession number: 2004.120992.046 Physical condition: Good Material composition: Tin

Box 6

Item 1: Tenor Military Serpent: Christopher Monk, ca. 1994

Material/Condition: Wood, Leather, Brass. Condition excellent. Contains serpent, bocal, lead pipe, and mouthpiece. Created as a prototype instrument by Jeremy West for Christopher Monk Instruments, no serial number or case is included.

Accession number 2018.1209092.001a through 2018.1209092.001d.

Item 62: L. R. (Richardson) Leland & Son, (Worchester, MA), 1890-1905

Accession number: 2012.1209092.012

Physical condition: Fair, main water key spring broken

Material Composition:

Item 63: Distin E-flat "Superior" Tuba, (Philadelphia), serial no.5065, 1889

Accession number: 2012.12090092.020

Physical condition: Fair, tuning slides to first and third valve slides, and main tuning slide frozen

Material composition:

Very rare Distin model

Item 64: Distin E-flat "Superior" Tuba, (Williamsport), serial no. 6213, 1890

Accession number: 2012.12090092.021

Physical condition: Good

Material composition:

Very rare Distin model

Item 65: Boosey "Solbron" Class-A B-flat Tenor Horn, (London), serial no. 104485 on bell and serial no. 79853 on second valve, ca. 1890

Accession number: 2012.1209092.011

Physical condition: Poor, first valve frozen

Material composition:

Inscription on bell reads "Guaranteed British made throughout the R. S. Williams & Sons Company, Toronto."

Item 66: Charles H. Parson E-flat Tuba, (New York), undated

Accession number: 2012.1209092.022

Physical condition: Good

Material composition:

Item 67: Bohlund & Fuchs Tenor Horn, (Graslitz, Bohemia, undated

Accession number: 2012.1209092.024

Physical condition: Fair, first tuning slide frozen

Material composition:

Item 68: Dodworth-Busch F Tuba, 4 rotor valves, 1892

Accession number: 2012.1209092.029

Physical condition: fair, engraving on bell is badly worn, second valve is sticky, main tuning slide frozen, and one valve missing rotor screw cap.

Material composition:

Very rare model.

Item 69: Keefer E-flat Tenor horn, (Williamsport), serial number 12997 L2P located on second valve, ca. 1910-1920

Accession number: 2012.1209092.019

Physical condition: second valve frozen

Material composition:

Horn is in the shape of a baritone and is possibly low-pitch

Item 70: Keefer E-flat Tenor, (Williamsport), serial number 10271 on second valve, ca. 1910-=1920

Accession number: 2012.1209092.015

Physical condition: Poor, third valve tuning slide frozen, 4-inch patch on bell next to engraving, and first and second valve buttons no original.

Material composition:

The instrument was probably dropped and the bell is heavily damaged. The instrument is probably high pitch.

Item 71: Stratton Over-the-shoulder E-flat Tuba, ca. 1856-1858

Accession number: 2012.1209092.026

Physical condition: Poor, no valves and badly deteriorated

Material compositon: Nickel-plated brass

Very early example of a Stratton Over-the-shoulder tuba

Item 72: Lehnert 3-rotor valve E-flat Tuba, 1874

Accession number: 2012.1209092.027

Physical condition: Poor, extensive de-zincification throughout the instrument, thumb brack is broken, and several joints are taped together.

Material composition: Nickel plated brass

Item 73: Thein Bremen Trombone, serial number 1932, undated

Accession number: 2012.1209092.016

Physical condition: Good, slide lock inoperable

Material composition:

Rare model trombone

Item 74: Boosey-Distin B-flat Euphonium, serial number 22794, 1870

Accession number: 2012.1209092.013A and B

Physical condition: Good, has original mouthpiece

Material composition:

Item 75: Early 20th-century reproduction Baroque Natural Horn (Angefertig von Helmut Finke Herford), ca. 1960

Accession number: 2012.1209092.017

Physical condition: Fair, original mouth piece with 1 slide section and pigtail leadpipe

Material composition:

Item 76: Amati E-flat Alto Horn, serial number 109151, undated

Accession number: 2012.1209092.018

Physical condition:Good

Material composition:

This is a 20th-century recreation

Item 77: Joseph Lidl Wagnerian Bass Trumpet, serial number LTR591, 2010

Accession number: 2012.1209092.031A & B

Physical condition: Very good

Material composition:

Intrument includes an original mouthpiece

Item 78: E-flat Melody Horn, 1905

Accession number: 2012.1209092.030

Physical condition: Good

Material composition:

Item 79: Zobisch B-flat Tenor Horn in Helicon Form, ca. 1870

Accession number: 2012.1209092.025

Physical condition: Fair

Material composition

Item 80: Ernst Reinh Voigt (Mark Neukirchen Sachen) B-flat Oval Tenor Horn, 1890

Accession number: 2012.1209092.014

Physical condition: Good

Material Composition:

Wagnerian tuba modeled after it.

Item 81: Lehnert "American Standard" B-flat Euphonium, (Philadelphia), ca. 1875-1895

Accession number: 2012.1209092.010

Physical condition: Fair, large patch around the circumfrance of the bell, and second valve tuning slide frozen

Material composition:

Item 82: C. E. Doeling E-flat Tuba, (Philadelphia), ca. 1885-1895

Accession number: 2012.1209092.028

Physical condition: Fair, third valve tuning slide frozen

Material composition:

Item 83: Yamaha Bb Flugal Horn, ca. 1972

Instrument acquired by Geoffrey Brittin from Lloyd Farrar in the early 2000s, acquired by the Sousa Archives as part of the Farrar Collection on May 2, 2019. See also Musical Americana, Series 3, Box 73, Folder 1, containing photograph and letter related to the instrument.

Case contains Bach 7C mouthpiece. Yamaha Flugelhorn manufactured in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Physical condition: Good

Material: Rose and Yellow Brass

Item 84: David Harding Serpent, ca. 1990

Accession no. 2018.1209092.002. Wood and brass serpent, wrapped in leather, with brass bocal and wooden mouthpiece. Serial number 153.